This gallery shows some of the pictures from three exhibitions - New Circus Portraits, Series #1, 2 & 3. The work was made between 1999 and 2003. All of the portraits were taken on film in natural light. Read more about these exhibitions.

Pictures

Michelle Ijtsma, aka Mrs Whippy, is known to cater for the circus and other fringe communities on occasions. Michelle was raised in Brisbane and Hong Kong. She became involved with circus “as a form of therapy to shock herself out of a messy head and back into her body” and incidentally discovered a propensity for naked stilt-walking. Michelle has performed with Vulcana Women’s Circus and Legs Eleven doing stilt walking, clowning, bad acro and shit juggling with a dash of fire eating, fire twirling and belly dancing. Michelle now dabbles in community arts and youthwork, while being an artist, administrator, website designer and IT student. Michelle prides herself on her ability to pick her nose with her big toe, and further she boasts an aptitude for licking her own elbow. [She dares you to try it.]